Halloween is already a distant memory, but not enough to scare away the upcoming romantic vampire thriller "The Twilight Saga: New Moon," one of the most anticipated movies to hit the big screen this holiday movie-going season.

Slated for a Nov. 20 release, the sequel to the monster hit "Twilight," released a mere year ago, is among the biggest releases this month. Robert Pattison is back as the vampire Edward Cullen, the would-be lover of human Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart). This time, however, their romance is complicated by Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner), Bella's loyal friend and secret crush who morphs into his true identity as a wolf and enemy of the vampires.

While "Twilight" fans are counting the stars down to the film's release, the curtain will be drawn on plenty of other holiday season releases, starting Nov. 6 with director Robert Zemeckis' high-tech update of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol."

Zemeckis, who challenged the landscape of special effects with his hit "Back to the Future" trilogy and Oscar-winning drama "Forrest Gump," is riding high again on the motion capture technique that he revolutionized for "The Polar Express" to give zing to "A Christmas Carol."

Much in the same way Tom Hanks played multiple roles in "The Polar Express," Jim Carrey will embody a multitude of characters for "A Christmas Carol" – including the film's central character Ebenezer Scrooge. Robin Wright Penn, "Forrest Gump's" Jenny, also stars.

Director Wes Anderson takes technology in the exact opposite direction on Nov. 13 for the stop-motion farce "The Fantastic Mr. Fox," a fox vs. farmers animated comedy featuring the voices of George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Bill Murray and Jason Schwartzman.

Those not in the mood for lighter fare will get their fill of impending gloom and doom with "2012," an end-of-the-world thriller from "Independence Day" director Roland Emmerich. Starring John Cusack and Amanda Peet, "2012" targets in on Dec. 21, 2012, the end of the Mayan calendar and to some, the perceived end to the world as we know it.

Those daring to go toe-to-toe with "New Moon" Nov. 20 are the animated kids comedy "Planet 51," an alien tale featuring the voices of Dwayne Johnson, Jessica Biel, Justin Long and Gary Oldman; and "The Blind Side," a sports drama based on the incredible true story about how Leigh Anne Touhy (Sandra Bullock) took in homeless black youth Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron) and fostered him to a successful football career. Tim McGraw co-stars.

November wraps up with not turkeys – but a couple of "Old Dogs," played by John Travolta and Robin Williams. Slated for Nov. 27, Travolta and Williams play a pair of friends and business partners who suddenly must adapt to caring for 7-year-old twins.

Those who would rather feast on action Nov. 27 will be served with "Ninja Assassin," starring martial arts sensation Rain. The film focuses on a ninja who turns his back on the orphanage who raised him, only to be confronted by a fellow member of the ninja clan.

Drama is also on the platter Nov. 27 with "The Road," a post-apocalyptic tale of survival starring Viggo Mortensen, Charlize Theron and Robert Duvall. "High School Musical" star Zac Efron also switches to a different frequency Nov. 27 in "Me and Orson Welles," as Efron stars as a teen cast in the iconic director's stage version of "Julius Caesar" in 1937.